Jane Austen discussion

John and Fanny. Discuss!

Where do I begin! That Fanny! What a witch! I think that John probably started out being a good fellow, the sisters were so good tempered. I think their father raised his children to be fair and good people but when he married Fanny, she was just too strong armed and it is easy to tell just who rulled the roust in that family. I can tell this by what he wanted to offer the girls and the mother. He had given an oath to his father and he broke it miserably. Fanny steered the conversation in such a way to where he began to believe that what she told him was his idea and his decision. He ended up not giving them a cent. And the help actually proposed by Fanny was only a rouse to jip the girls of what was their "right" apart from the entail. Boy am I glad those were done away with! All goes to the first son or nearest male heir. Instead of Fanny becoming a Dashwood upon her marriage, John became a Ferrars. The old lady ruled from on high, threatening to give or take away. They were all afraid of her. Appearances were everything to them and money was tantamount. When Fanny found out about Edward's secret engagement, I felt she had gotten her just reward. John even went so far as to tell Elinor to shun Edward. Fanny even wanted Mrs Dashwood's own dining plate and furniture. If John would have married a sweet tempered woman, he would have been a very different sort of man. But then now that I think of it, John had a character flaw. He allowed other people to influence him above his better judgement. He didn't follow his inner conscience.

Ahhhhh!!!!!! I think by today's standards Fanny would not be described merely as a witch, but maybe something a little more crass. She is selfish, cruel, hateful, conniving, and sly. John, on the other hand, is quiet, probably even tempered, likes to be babied, and did allow himself to be told when to do. I wonder what kind of father he will make later on. But, back to Fanny! She said something like their china would be too fine for the kind of house they will live in. Ah-ha, here it, "And the breakfast china is twice as handsome...a great deal too handsome, in my opinion for any place they can ever afford to live in." Jerk-face. And before this she's going on and on about how they are so poor, what the heck they could possibly spend their money on, and will keep no respectable company. I think today she would've been in charge of a type, bullying clique, set on tormenting girls in high school; a snob. Needless to say, Jane Austen wrote her so well, I hate Fanny. Good job Jane!